Princess of her Clan
by Drizzle117
Summary: Snowypaw is known as the "princess" of BerryClan, with her mother the deputy and her father the leader-but she doesn't act like a princess should; instead she's rude and disrespectful to her Clan. And when her medicine cat recieves a prophecy stating she'll destroy every Clan, Snowypaw's life spirals out of control...
1. Troublesome: Prologue and Allegiances

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Allegiances

_BerryClan_

**Leader: **Hawkstar—_dark brown tabby tom with white stockings, a fluffy tail, and green eyes_

**Deputy: **Ashstorm—_soot grey she-cat with bright amber eyes and white tabby markings_

**Apprentice: **Badgerpaw

**Medicine Cat: **Pinewhisker—_black she-cat with dark brown stripes down her back and deep blue eyes_

**Apprentice: **Skypaw

**Warriors:**

Ravenbreeze—_dark grey she-cat with black paws and dark brown eyes _

Goldenlight—_golden tabby tom with brown markings around his face and light brown eyes_

Snakeclaw—_dark black tom with longer claws than most and deep amber eyes_

**Apprentice: **Snowypaw

Turtlepelt—_tortoiseshell she-cat with bright green eyes_

Juniperstorm—_white tom with brown tabby markings and bright amber eyes_

Leafwillow—_white-and-brown tabby she-cat with pale amber eyes_

**Apprentice: **Mistypaw

Shrewfang—_dusty brown tom with pale green eyes_

**Apprentices:**

Snowypaw—_pure white she-cat with long, soft fur, a bushy tail, and soft amber eyes_

**Mentor: **Snakeclaw

Badgerpaw—_black and white tom with pale blue eyes_

**Mentor: **Ashstorm

Mistypaw—_blue-grey she-cat with black paws and bright blue eyes_

**Mentor: **Leafwillow

Skypaw—_light blue-silver tom with a black tipped tail and deep blue eyes_

**Mentor: **Pinewhisker

**Queens:**

Scarletstreak—_russet she-cat with a white-tipped tail and deep blue eyes, nursing Juniperstorm's kits, _Owlkit (_white-and-russet she-kit with bright green eyes)_, Falconkit (_light brown tom with one bent ear and light blue eyes)_, _and _Shimmerkit (_undersized white she-kit with one blue eye and one green)_

**Elders:**

Bluefoot—_dark blue-grey she-cat with grey paws and tired amber eyes_

Shadowheart—_black tom with ruffled fur and blue eyes_

_PondClan_

**Leader: **Whitestar—_pure white she-cat with light green eyes and brown paws_

**Deputy: **Frostclaw—_silver tom with black markings on his face and tail, and dark blue eyes_

**Medicine Cat: **Yellowfur—_a golden-pelted tom with brown tipped fur and deep brown eyes_

**Warriors:**

Poppyheart—_russet she-cat with lively sky blue eyes_

Flamewhisker—_orange and white tabby tom with dark brown eyes_

**Apprentice: **Maplepaw

Squirrelcloud—_dusty brown and ginger she-cat with amber eyes_

Mousenose—_brown tom with ruffled fur and bright blue eyes_

Stormfang—_grey she-cat_

**Apprentice: **Oakpaw

Birchcloud—_dusty brown tom_

**Apprentices:**

Oakpaw—_brown tom_

**Mentor: **Stormfang

Maplepaw—_ginger-and-brown she-cat_

**Mentor: **Flamewhisker

**Queens:**

Greymoon—_light silver she-cat, expecting Birchcloud's kits_

**Elders:**

Hailstreak—_silver-and-grey tom_

_GrassClan_

**Leader: **Nightstar—_black tom with pure brown eyes_

**Deputy: **Skunkstripe—_black and white she-cat with bright blue eyes and a very bushy tail_

**Medicine Cat: **Flowertail—_black and ginger she-cat_

**Apprentice: **Wolfpaw

**Warriors:**

Icysky—_pure white she-cat_

**Apprentice: **Midnightpaw

Cindertail—_dark grey tom_

Runningwhisker—_dusty brown tom_

Foggygaze—_blue-grey she-cat _

Petalbreeze—_light ginger-and-grey she-cat_

**Apprentices:**

Wolfpaw—_dark brown tabby she-cat_

**Mentor: **Flowertail

Midnightpaw—_black-and-grey tom_

**Mentor: **Icysky

**Queens: **

Applewhisker—_tortoiseshell she-cat with a long bushy tail, nursing Cindertail's kit, _Tabbykit (_very odd and rare tortoiseshell tom with blue eyes)_

**Elders: **

Silverwillow—_old grey she-cat, deaf in one ear _

Cats Outside the Clans

Navy—a dark blue-grey tom with shining green eyes and very short fur

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**-One-**

**Troublesome**

The night was as dark as shadows, many of which swamped the place. The moon twinkled eerily in the night sky, the only bright beacon among a clearing of gloom. Not even the warriors of StarClan had emerged on this night. All was tense and quiet, and nothing could be heard except fast moving pawsteps and a cat panting heavily in fear.

A black she-cat erupted into the clearing, her deep blue eyes panicked and pupils shrunk with fear as she ran in place, moonlight glimmering over the large brown stripes arching across her back. She looked back worriedly, as if something had been chasing her, and when it seemed nothing was, her paws stopped moving, she breathed a sigh of relief, and rested her head down on her paws, still breathing harshly.

"Pinewhisker."

The she-cat's ears pricked upon hearing her name, and she looked up with a wary cautiousness in her eyes. "Who's there?" she called out in a soft, melodic voice that didn't seem to match her gruff-looking appearance.

A golden tom with brown-tipped fur and green eyes padded out of the forest and looked around, scenting the air. His voice, lighter than most toms', almost sounded like he was an apprentice rather than a kit. Pinewhisker seemed to relax when she saw him.

"Oh, Yellowfur, it's you. Good, and for a minute there I was afraid you were…" The black she-cat shuddered and turned away. "I'd rather not think about it."

"Were you being chased?" the PondClan medicine cat asked solemnly, leaning down and looking directly into the other's deep blue eyes. "Were you being chased by a horrible creature that looked as if it was a giant badger that was a dark navy blue color?"

Pinewhisker's heart began to beat faster as she remembered the vicious beast. "Yes," she gasped. "Yes, that was it exactly? Did you see it? Did it…bite you?" She held out one of her forepaws to reveal scarlet blood trickling down the pad. Yellowfur's green eyes swept it, but he slowly shook his head.

"No, I saw it lumbering about. It looked as if it was chasing something. It must have been you." The PondClan medicine cat looked up at the stars and shook his head. "This is a half-moon night. Why have our ancestors not visited us, but sent this beast instead? Why are we sharing a dream instead of having two separate ones?" The golden tom hissed and shook his head from side to side. "So many questions…"

"But so few answers," Pinewhisker sympathized, her dark blue eyes reflecting the half-moon above them. "You feel the same way I do, Yellowfur. What does it all mean? And where is Flowertail?"

Yellowfur snorted. "GrassClan—and their medicine cat with them—have always been solitary. Even if she saw us right now, was _watching us, possibly…_she wouldn't come out." The golden tom lay down and sighed. "Well, until we wake up, we can make small talk. Keep our minds off of…that thing."

Pinewhisker nodded, her ebony pelt blending in perfectly with her surroundings. "Ashstorm had one kit earlier," she murmured. "The little princess of our Clan, Snowykit."

"Princess? Why do you call her that?" Yellowfur asked curiously, tapping his paw against the ground nervously as he looked about him for any sign of the horrible beast that both the medicine cats had seen.

"Her father is Hawkstar—her mother Ashstorm," the black she-cat said, referring to her Clan's leader and deputy. "The whole Clan thinks she'll follow in the pawsteps of her parents and be the next leader of BerryClan. Personally I think she's a little rambunctious for the role of leader, and too quick to do things, but that's just me…"

Suddenly Pinewhisker's eyes widened and the fur on her back spiked up. Her deep blue eyes flashed a bright crimson red, and then she collapsed to the ground. Yellowfur gasped and staggered to his paws, prodding her gently.

"Pinewhisker? Pinewhisker, what's happened? Wake up!"

However much he pushed her, the BerryClan cat wouldn't awake—and then the tom heard it—loud pawsteps trampling through the forest, loud enough to wake any cat from there to the Dark Forest. His green eyes widened when he realized that it was the monster.

"Pinewhisker, it's back!" he begged, nudging her with his nose. "Wake up!" When she still did not awake, the tom began to lick her, hoping the moisture would sink in and wake her up. He licked her cheeks, her muzzle, and even once on the tip of her nose, around her eyes, anywhere, anywhere that might wake her up. With every lick he took, the monster got closer. He couldn't let it hurt this defenseless she-cat. He couldn't.

Yellowfur curled up protectively over Pinewhisker's limp body and hissed. "Y-you won't kill any cat tonight!" he yowled, trying to sound brave but probably sounding stupid. "Not me, not Pinewhisker!"

Her fur was so, so warm…it felt oh so good…Yellowfur had to stop himself from swooning and dug his claws into the dirt. He had to stay strong, for his fellow medicine cat's sake. He bared his teeth but didn't feel as strong as he was sure he looked.

And then they both woke up.

. . .

"You two, you both look like you wandered through the Dark Forest instead of StarClan—now get up, you lazy mice! Get _up!_" the black and ginger she-cat known as the medicine cat of GrassClan, Flowertail, hissed, prodding Yellowfur with one furry paw. He looked up at her shakily, and gasped with relief when he saw Pinewhisker's dark blue eyes flutter open.

"You're alright?" he asked her quietly. She looked at him queerly.

"Was I ever not alright? All I know was we were talking in the clearing, and then…" Pinewhisker's eyes widened and she hunched into a ball, curling up and shivering all over. "I heard a voice…oh Yellowfur, it was a horrible, raspy voice and sounded as if it it had come from the Dark Forest itself!"

"What did it say?" he asked her tensely, leaning down so that they were nose-to-nose. "What did it tell you?"

Pinewhisker looked him straight in the eye. "It told me that the princess will choose one of the monstrous three, but her choice or rejections will…" she shivered and looked down. "…will destroy all and thee."

"Was there more?" Yellowfur asked anxiously, putting his paw over Pinewhisker's and looking at her comfortingly—or at least what he _hoped _was comfortingly.

"Yes…" she murmured. "Yes…but I don't know what else it was. It'll come to me…but do you know what this means, Yellowfur?" She looked at him dead on, dark blue clashing light green. "It means that Snowykit will have the power to destroy…_everybody._"

**AN: Okay, so this is going to be fun. To clarify things, this is all one book, Princess of her Clan, but it's split into three parts: Troublesome, The Monsterous Choice, and The Power to Destroy them All. Each book will be split into very, very short chapters, and will start with updated allegiances and a prologue that isn't called a prologue but is one. I hope you enjoy (and don't get confused!)**


	2. Troublesome: Chapters One through Five

**-Chapter One-**

It wasn't _my _fault that I caught a tiny mouse and then ate it myself! How was I supposed to know that Scarletstreak's little rats needed the food more than I do? How was I supposed to know that they even eat meat yet? Sheesh, I didn't think they did.

So now I'm sitting out in the cold of leafbare, and it's snowing. Everyone thinks I'm supposed to like snow, since my name is Snowypaw, but I hate the stuff. It sticks to my fur and makes me itch. I know that seems weird, but it does. The annoying thing is that no other cat seems to feel that way.

I can sense the eyes of my Clan watching me out of their nice, warm dens disapprovingly. I've let them down again. Once again I've proved I'm not as great as my oh-so-wonderful parents, Hawkstar and Ashstorm.

I'm not as great as them, though.

I think they know that.

They really don't want to admit it, though.

**-Chapter Two-**

Wow, it's cold out. My first leafbare night, and I'm spending it sitting outside freezing my tail off. It'd be cooler if it was my warrior ceremony. "Snowycloud! Snowycloud!" or something of the sort would be echoing in the air. But _no-oh, _it's because I'm in trouble.

Dad's eyes were angry when he looked down at me. Angry green eyes that pierced my soul—I haven't just let down my Clan, I've let down him and Mom.

I can still hear his deep voice echoing in my head, bouncing around with the jumbled, hungry cries of Scarletstreak's kits. "Snowypaw, your mother and I are _very _disappointed in you. We thought that we had taught you better."

They did teach me well, is the thing. Mom used to go over the warrior code almost every day, whispering it in my tiny ears like it was a message from StarClan—which in some way, it was. But it was mainly made up by cats like us—if they think it's a good idea, they add it to the code. Okay, then, "let's all have peace forever!" No. Not happening.

Yeah, I learned the code.

But do I care?

Not in the slightest.

**-Chapter Three-**

I'm hungry now, too. Dad forbade me to eat any prey whatsoever. My stomach feels like somebody carved a hole straight out of it, I'm so empty. That mouse that I ate before the kits got a chance to feels like a million sunrises ago—and it wasn't even very big. A scrawny little thing, really. No meat on it. Just fur and bones—why I even bothered catching the thing is beyond me.

I want, more than anything, to yell at the sky, and wake up the whole camp. I want them to see that I'm not the perfect little princess they all want me to be. I want them to see that I'm just another cat. Not special. Not different. Just me.

I chuckled, creating a small puff of mist in the freezing night air. Yeah, like that's going to happen anytime soon.

Well, I suppose I could think about myself, and my life, while I'm sitting here. I don't really have anything better to do, do I? Watch grass grow is one option—thrilling. And listening to the warriors snore is another. Goodness—Mother snores so loud that it's embarrassing. It's not like I'm ever going to tell her, though.

I've decided—I'll think about myself.

Now, where to begin? My life is so jumbled up, it's like a snake twisted around and around again into one big jumble…I think that the Twolegs call it a "knot…"

**-Chapter Four-**

When every cat learned that Ashstorm was going to have Hawkstar's kits, they knew that her kits would be just perfect. They had to be, after all. What else _could _they be? Kits of the leader and deputy? They'd be the princes and princesses of BerryClan!

My supposed siblings and I were the talk of our Clan for moons, Ashstorm used to tell me. They whispered about how the kits would be the next rulers of the Clan. Leader, deputy, medicine cat, senior warriors…every high position one can think of, they filled my name and my supposed unborn siblings in that slot.

When Ashstorm was giving birth, practically the whole Clan was gathered outside the nursery. They were waiting…waiting for the news. How many kits would she have? Were they she-kits or toms? Would they look like her or Hawkstar, their father?

Well, instead of all of the five kits the Clan had been imagining, they got me, the little puffy menace, and a stillborn tom.

I looked nothing like either of my parents—neither of them was white, or even had traces of white anywhere on them.

The little tom looked just like Ashstorm, with little brown paws the same shade as Hawkstar's fur color. Mom named him Hawkkit, back when she was delirious from giving birth and thought that he was alive.

Something tells me that if he had survived, the Clan would like him a lot more than they'd ever like me.

**-Chapter Five-**

I didn't _mean _to cause every member of the Clan trouble at some time or another. It just…happened! Some cat annoyed me, I put a bramble in their nest, the next morning they went to see Pinewhisker limping.

My only friend was Mistykit, who is just half a moon older than I am. She and I love to play jokes on the camp, even now, when we're both apprentices. Her brother is named Skypaw, and he's medicine cat apprentice. He's kind of cute, but is really uptight, and doesn't often talk to us much. I don't think he likes me. I don't think that anyone but Mistypaw likes me much.

Mistypaw has always been there for me. When I got in trouble when we were kits for something we both did (put a fire ant in Shadowheart the elder's nest when he yelled at us for being too loud), she turned herself in and we bore the punishment together.

She's the most loyal, honest, dependable cat I know. I love her for that. I don't think we'll ever not be friends. We're joined at the hip—as tight as two stars in StarClan.

I hope that if Mistypaw is to die, I die on the same day so that I don't have to spend more than a sunrise without her.


	3. Troublesome: Chapters Six through Ten

**-Chapter Six-**

Okay, I take back what I said about no cat liking me. Plenty of cats _like _me, since I'm supposedly the princess of BerryClan and all of that whatnot, but they all find me exasperatingly annoying. One cat in particular has never seemed to have much of an eye for me: our medicine cat, Pinewhisker.

Pinewhisker is beautiful, and her voice is melodic and sounds like honey on mother's milk, and she used to baby me like I was her own kit—which of course is impossible, since she's a medicine cat and all and can't have kits. But she used to treat me like one, like I was the next best thing.

Then, one night after returning from the Shining Stone where the medicine cats go to meet with StarClan, she seemed scared and tense. She never wanted to go near me, always flinched when I came near, and never seemed to spend much time with me anymore, even when I was hurt and she had to take care of me. It was awful. It still is.

Do I understand it? No, and I doubt I ever will. But I started to feel just the tiniest bit better when I started talking with Navy.

Who is Navy?

Often I don't even know—but he might be the most mysterious cat I've ever known.

**-Chapter Seven-**

I wouldn't call Navy a friend, exactly—more like an acquaintance of sorts. I met him right after I became an apprentice, and I was border patrolling by myself because I didn't like how my mentor, Snakeclaw, was telling me to hunt. To make a long story short, I wanted to hide in trees and spring down on top of my prey. Snakeclaw didn't like the idea, which is why he's so boring. I know that Mistypaw would have loved it. She got a much nicer mentor than me, Leafwillow, widely known for being the kindest and most creative cat in the Clan.

Even if Mistypaw _is _my best friend, that can't stop me from envying her. She's often told me she envies me—"Princess of BerryClan? I'd give anything to be that!"

But now I'm getting off topic. I was trying to talk about how I met Navy.

I was in the woods, all by myself, grumbling about how fat Snakeclaw's cheeks are, and how he'll never get any she-cat to fall in love with him whether he likes it or not, and some other things that Ashstorm would probably hit me with a stick for saying, when I ran into Navy. Literally _ran _into him.

He was hunting a squirrel, and I was looking the other way, and I just slammed into him, slamming both of us down onto the ground. I jumped backwards immediately and felt my claws unsheathe.

"Intruder on BerryClan territory," I snapped. "I'm Snowypaw, princess of this Clan, and I order you to leave."

He looked at me with an almost bored expression. He couldn't have been much older than me—about eight moons, and I was about six-and-a-half—but his eyes looked so serious that it made him seem like he was much older than his appearance.

"Cute," he said finally, flicking his short-furred tail against my cheek. "Really cute. But game's over, sister. You don't play princess in the den anymore. This is the real world, not a fantasy game."

I hissed, and my fur puffed up to twice my size. "This is _not _a game! I am daughter of Hawkstar, our leader, and of Ashstorm, our deputy! That makes me rightful princess of BerryClan!"

My claws dug into the dirt. I don't often _like _having conversations with other cats but I would when I had to (unless it was Mistypaw). And plus, this guy was really getting on my nerves—who was he to call my rightful heritage a game?

The loner tom looked at me for a long while, as if trying to decide if I was lying or telling the truth. I hissed. "Can't you tell that I'm—?"

"—you aren't lying," he said at the same time, and then we both blinked, looking at one another curiously.

"How did you know I would say that?" I asked. He laughed, a short sound, brusque but in a way, soothing of sorts, and flicked his tail against my shoulder carelessly.

"I know a lot of things," he smiled, his dark blue-grey fur flashing in the sunlight. "The name's Navy, by the way. Always lived on my own, most likely always will. It's a pleasure to meet you…'princess.'"

**-Chapter Eight-**

"Snowypaw, Snowypaw!"

Great StarClan, who is it now? Some other cat who wants to torture me with their failed belief in me? One of the kits, going to blame me for why they didn't have a nice mouse?

Then I realized that the figure was a blue-grey she-cat with black paws, and I relaxed upon realizing that it was my best friend, Mistypaw. She tried to blend in with the rapidly falling snow but failed miserably. It made me laugh. She always makes me laugh.

"I'm here," she panted through clenched teeth. I wondered why they were clenched, and then I realized that she had a plump, juicy squirrel in her jaws. I quickly meowed my thanks and dove in, eating it up in just three bites.

It was Mistypaw's turn to laugh now. "You'll have a stomachache for a moon if you keep eating at that pace!" she purred mischievously. "Anyways, Badgerpaw keeps talking about you."

She was referring to the other apprentice besides Skypaw. Badgerpaw was pretty nice, most of the time, and his fighting skills were over-the-moon. And…yeah, he was kinda cute. But he was just another cat who wanted me to be something I wasn't.

I looked at her inquisitively. "Was he?"

She nodded. "He kept on saying in his voice, 'How do you think Snowypaw's doing? I really hope she's alright. Blah, blah, blah, rambling on and on…' I got so fed up with it that I had to bring you a squirrel—and I'm pretty sure the night's almost over."

I smiled. Again, I don't know where I would be without Mistypaw.

**-Chapter Nine-**

I wanted to sleep back in my den after the punishment was over so badly that it hurt—but no, I had to go on a _dawn patrol, _of all things! It was to be with my mentor, Snakeclaw, and Ravenbreeze. I hated them both.

"Hate?" one might think. "That's a strong word to describe your mentor and his sister, of all things, Snowypaw." But it's true. Both Snakeclaw and Ravenbreeze were pieces of foxdung that some fox had forgotten to bury.

Snakeclaw is a terrible cat and a terrible mentor—big surprise there. He's super bossy, and never lets me try new ideas—it always has to be Snakeclaw, Snakeclaw, Snakeclaw all the time, every second of every day of every night.

Ravenbreeze is no better. She hisses a lot, and is always grumpy about one thing or another, and never lets any cat get their own say in. If some cat catches more prey than her she hisses and claws them—then tells Hawkstar that it was a training accident.

The sick, weak fool my father is, he believes her.

Did I mention I hate the way Hawkstar rules BerryClan?

**-Chapter Ten-**

If I was leader of BerryClan, like every cat seems to want me to be, then I would be a much better leader than my father could ever be. I would change all of his mousebrained ideas about what cats can do and what can't.

First of all, since the Clan leader's choice is law (according to the code I care nothing about) every cat has to do what I say. I would tell them to prove everything they say that I think is suspicious, and I'd keep an eye on the cats I think make a lot of trouble. I would always organize border patrols so that the mischievous ones, the ones that are traitor material, are never on patrol together, but only patrol with the most trustworthy cats.

Any cat that hadn't eaten in half of a sunrise was allowed to eat before greedy kits and needy elders, who basically lay around all day doing nothing and eating to their heart's content while all of the warriors hunt for them. Have I ever liked that? Nu-uh.

Mistypaw, whatever her warrior name is to be, would be my deputy. That was one of the things I was most sure of. And I'd want every cat in the Clan to be treated equally, unless they seemed like they were going to be traitors.

One might be surprised how much I have planned out. But hey, if so many cats think that I'm going to be the leader of BerryClan someday, can't a cat make some plans?


	4. Troublesome: Chapters 11 through 15

**-Chapter Eleven-**

Today for my punishment I had to visit the kits and tell them just how sorry I am. According to my mom, they're all five-and-a-half moons old and nearly apprentices anyway. They're actually only about two moons younger than me. And Mistypaw isn't allowed to come.

Yeah, isn't _allowed_. Mom specifically said, "Oh Mistypaw, you're such a dear to want to share Snowypaw's guilt, but this was her fault, not yours. Now go practice hunting with Leafwillow, will you?"

She had looked at me apologetically and then darted away. She had to obey the deputy's wishes, or she'd get kicked out of the Clan.

I took a deep breath and faced the nursery entrance. The sound of squealing kits reached my ears and I sighed, my tail flicking back and forth nervously.

This was going to be really awkward.

**-Chapter Twelve-**

"Hello, kits," I said as I entered the den. They stopped, the three of them, and looked up at me suspiciously. One of them really made me quake in my skin. She was really, really small, with one blue eye and one green. The way she looked at me made me feel all cold inside, like I was being hollowed out with a stick.

"You're the princess, Snowypaw, right?" asked one of the other kits, a light brown tom with piercing blue eyes. One of his ears was bent. "Were you the one who took our meal from us last night?"

"Yes," I admitted, feeling my ears lower in a kind of shame. "I came to—"

"Apologize?" the undersized kit burst out, her eyes blazing with a fierceness I had never seen in the face of one so young before. I almost recoiled, but stopped myself just in time. "What are you going to apologize for? The fate of all of the Clans, or one. Measly. Skin. And. Bones. Mouse?"

I backed up. "What're you—"

"My name is Shimmerkit," the kit said to me in an icy cold voice. "I'm going to be Pinewhisker's apprentice. And I think I need to talk to you."

**-Chapter Thirteen-**

Shimmerkit took me outside, behind the nursery, in a tiny squished space that only she and I could fit in. I complained and hissed but she ignored my whines and flicked her tail, almost seeming like my suffering was a good thing.

"So what's all this absolute nonsense?" I grumbled to her angrily, thinking inwardly that when I was leader, kits weren't allowed to torture apprentices like this for craziness.

"This is not crazy," replied the kit in an icy calm voice. It almost scared me for a second time, but I didn't let her see it. I wouldn't give her the pleasure of seeing my displeasure at her odd wisdom.

"Then what do you want me out here for?" I asked, towering over her and glaring with what I hoped was an intimidating expression.

It didn't appear to work. Shimmerkit stared at me icily and didn't speak for several heartbeats. I started to quake and almost jumped straight up in the air when she meowed in a whispering voice that was still dead calm, "You are going to destroy us all."

I stared at her and then began to laugh. "What're you talking about, kit? Wow, I'm daft. I thought you were going to tell me something that was actually true and important." My snowy white tail flicked back and forth with each shuddering laugh I took.

"Pinewhisker can tell you what she saw," Shimmerkit whispered. "I'll take you to her, if you won't believe me." Her tiny teeth grasped my tail and began to drag me forward. I wanted to resist, but I was too curious for my own good.

Too bad that I had forgotten Mistypaw's old saying: "Curiosity killed the cat."

**-Chapter Fourteen-**

Pinewhisker was working on Goldenlight's broken leg when Shimmerkit led me in. She stopped applying her poultice and turned, looking at me and looking inquisitively at the kit, and then myself.

Her eyes widen, and I flinched. I had always felt like Pinewhisker secretly wanted to be rid of me. Now that feeling had just tripled.

"Shimmerkit. Snowypaw." The medicine cat's voice sounded choked as she turned completely to face us. A fake smile spread across her face. "How wonderful to see you!" Her black tail twitched slightly—the only giveaway besides her honey-sweet voice that she was _not _happy I had come.

"We need to talk," the little kit snaps before I have the chance to say anything. Pinewhisker blinks and pads toward us, Goldenlight forgotten.

"Yes?" she asks, leaning down to face her future apprentice and seemingly ignoring me. I have to bite my tongue to fight back an indignant hiss of anger and decide to just wait to see what Shimmerkit says.

"I told her about your prophecy," the white kit says almost lazily, with a bored tone. "She doesn't believe me."

Pinewhisker's gasps. "You did _what_?"

"I told her, you know, about the prophecy that she'll destroy all of the clans with her crazy choice…" Now Shimmerkit was looking uncomfortable, and she trails off. I'm feeling worried. I don't know why—maybe it's that look Pinewhisker is giving me, or Shimmerkit's obvious nervousness.

"Wait," I interrupt. Whirling around to face the medicine cat I hiss, "So it's true, then? You really had this crazy dream?"

She stares at me. No words come out of her mouth, but I can tell what the answer is by the expression on her face—hopelessly lost. The same emotion is reflected on Shimmerkit.

Without saying a word more, I turn around and dart out of the entrance, out of the clearing, out of the camp. There's only one cat besides Mistypaw who I think I can tell about this.

I have to find Navy.

**-Chapter Fifteen-**

It's cold again outside, and my paws keep slipping in the snow. I think I know where Navy will be, but it'll take a while to get there, and I don't have much time before I explode due to overdose of crazy information.

A branch, covered by snow and completely blended in to my surroundings, knocks my senses as I slam into it with a loud thud. Stumbling backward, I shake my head to clear the snow from my ears—I _hate _getting wet—when the sound of laughter fills the air.

"Ah, amusing, princess. Wonderful. Ten mice out of ten mice."

"Navy," I grumble through clenched teeth, using one paw to brush the layered snow off of my head. "Not funny."

He leaps out of the very tree that I just happened to run into and lands delicately on all four paws. I don't understand how he does it—Ashstorm and Hawkstar have always told me that cats are supposed to be able to land on all fours, but I always end up slipping and landing flat on my face—or my tail.

"Okay, why so serious?" Navy challenges, settling himself down in the snow and staring at me. "I'm all ears, Miss Mope."

For once I forget about how annoyed I am at him, shiver slightly—and not just because of the cold—and begin to tell him what happened. I'm shuddering as I talk, yet no emotion crosses Navy's face, even at the craziest parts. About halfway through I start to wonder if he believes me at all, or if he thinks that I'm just making up some crazy joke, so I stop talking.

"What?" he asks, his green eyes flaring with annoyance. "Go on."

"You don't believe me, do you?" I spit out, glaring at him, but Navy laughs, wrapping his tail around his paws and looking at me with that scary, over-intelligent look.

"Quite the opposite, actually," he says. "I already knew."


	5. Troublesome: Chapter 16 through End

**-Chapter Sixteen-**

My mind is now spinning, twisting, cramping with all of the new information that I've learned in the past few heartbeats. It feels like it's been moons, but of course it's hardly been any time at all.

"You…_knew_?" is the only thing I can manage to squeak out. "You've known this whole time, and yet all of the times I've come to see you you've not told me?"

Navy flicks one of his deep blue-grey ears sideways, his eyes bored and seemingly tired with this whole conversation. "Yes, I knew. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to upset you. Is that really so terrible?"

I can't even speak, I'm in such a rage right now. I want to rake my claws down Navy's smug-looking face, but manage to restrain myself. Hissing, my back fur bristles up, and my claws unsheathe, digging into the dirt.

"How did you know?" is all I can manage to choke out. My voice is very emotional all of a sudden, and I'm suddenly scared that I'm going to start crying, which would really ruin my reputation as a fierce, tough, not-afraid-of-anything kind of cat.

"How did I know?" Navy asks me curiously, boredom flooding his voice. "Well, I'd love to tell you…" As he stands up, he flicks his tail under my chin and draws it upward. "…but I can show you. Will your Clan mind if you leave for a little bit?"

My claws dig into the grass. "I don't care if they miss me or not," I spit out through clenched teeth.

He laughs. "Good. This'll be an adventure… Now come. It's time to visit the Shimmering Stream."

My jaw drops. "You mean…the place where the medicine cats share tongues with StarClan?"

Navy grins, revealing pointed, yellowed teeth. "I told you this would be an adventure, didn't I? So quickly, hurry up. We don't have much time."

**-Chapter Seventeen-**

The trip is long, but not perilous whatsoever. I know the territory well, and I've visited the Shimmering Stream several times before. My father and mother have brought me to "show me where I'll speak to StarClan." Oh, please. Give me a break.

Navy is faster than I am – leaner, too. He darts throughout trees and up ridges, occasionally looking back over his shoulder, eyes glinting. "Come on, slowpoke. What's taking you so long?"

"Ha, ha." My breath is winded and words panted, making me realize I might be more out of shape than I had previously thought. "Very funny."

"I'm serious." Navy stops, fur blowing in the wind to one side in sort of a rugged way that makes him look handsome, cute, even. "There's a very important message that you need to see, and it's at the Shimmering Stream."

"'Kay, 'kay…" My voice trails off into a slight whine, which I instantly regret, but I feel it's needed. I am a princess. And I am tired.

It takes a few more foxlengths but finally we're there. Navy immediately, without saying anything else to me, dips his head, takes a drink at the stream, and slowly drifts off to sleep. Rolling my eyes at the aloofness of this particular act, I do the same.

And the world slowly goes black…

**-Chapter Eighteen-**

I'm in a very dark forest. I can't see the sun, can't see the stars, can't see the moon. It's like the trees are interlocking into a thick web over my head. A breeze blows my fur back, but it's not a warm, friendly breeze – it's cold and chilling.

"Navy?"

My voice echoes throughout the forest, but nothing comes back. The grass is cold and somewhat slimy, almost feeling like it's climbing up my legs. The thought of that makes me shudder, and I begin to walk slowly forward. "Naaaavy?"

The blue-grey tom is absolutely nowhere to be found.

"Abandoning me in this dark, dreary forest…that's just like him," I grumble under my breath, along with several soft curses that would have sent Hawkstar raging after me right away. "Why am I even _here _anyways?"

A crashing through the undergrowth alerts me; my ears flick up and I cock my head. Suddenly my fur bristles on end as Navy bursts out of the bushes next to me, his eyes wild and panicked like I've never seen them before. He has a gash down his side.

"Run, Snowypaw!" he screams as he tears across the clearing. "I wasn't expecting it to be here! RUN!"

Without a shadow of a doubt – whatever gave him that scar must have been awfully big and awfully fierce – I dart after the nimbler cat, but quickly find myself trailing. He's just too fast, and I'm too slow…

The creature that we're running from erupts out of the bushes and gives a deafening roar that sounds like it could be a cat's screech or a badger's howl. I want to turn and look at it, but there's no time to focus on details. I have to run.

My paws ache as I bound through the forest, going faster than I've ever gone before. I can't see Navy ahead of me anymore, and I'm starting to get scared. That can't be right. I'm Snowypaw, princess of BerryClan. I _don't _get scared.

The creature lets out another roar and slams his paw in front of me; terrified, I look for another exit but he's blocked them all. Quivering, I turn…

…and look into the eyes of a huge, navy-colored badger.

"CHOOSE, PRINCESS," it snarls in a loud, terrifying tone that sounds more like an enraged cat than anything else. "CHOOSE…AND THE WORLD WILL BE DESTROYED AT YOUR PAWS…"

My eyes are wild, panicked, as I search for a way out. In the background I think I can hear Navy calling my name, faintly. But it's blocked out by the creature and its terrible voice, echoing around me, over and over and over again…

CHOOSE…CHOOSE…CHOOSE…

And suddenly my eyes snap open.

**END OF PART ONE**


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